Semiconductor memory devices, including flash memory, typically utilize memory cells to store data as an electrical value, such as an electrical charge or voltage. A flash memory cell, for example, includes a single transistor with a floating gate that is used to store a charge representative of a data value. Flash memory is a non-volatile data storage device that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. More generally, non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, as well as other types of non-volatile memory implemented using any of a variety of technologies) retains stored information even without power, as opposed to volatile memory, which requires power to maintain the stored information.
State machines are, in some embodiments, used in a storage controller of a non-volatile memory device (e.g., comprising a plurality of physical non-volatile memory die) to help manage command processing. After receiving a command, the state machine determines whether a location on a non-volatile memory die corresponding to the received command is busy (e.g., currently executing a memory operation). If the location is busy, then the non-volatile memory device waits and sends the command (or a memory operation corresponding to the command) when the location is no longer busy. Therefore, in such embodiments, a non-volatile memory device may permit a slow low-priority operation (e.g., a write operation) to complete execution before beginning execution of a higher-priority fast operation (e.g., a read operation requested by a host device), resulting in a waste of computing resources and causing non-volatile memory devices to violate quality of service metrics (i.e., performance-based warranties) associated with a maximum latency for commands sent by a host system.